Program for the 43rd Istanbul Film Festival announced

The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) is counting down the days to the 43rd Istanbul Film Festival (İFF), which will meet its audience between April 17 and 28.

The festival program was announced today at a press conference held at The Marmara Hotel Taksim in Istanbul.

İKSV General Manager Görgün Taner, Aktif Bank General Manager Ayşegül Adaca Oğan, İFF Director Kerem Ayan, and Meetings on the Bridge Manager Hayet Benkara attended the meeting as speakers.

İFF Director Kerem Ayan began his speech by wishing actor Kadir İnanır a speedy recovery.

FESTIVAL PROGRAM REVEALED

Providing information about the festival program and events, Ayan announced the films that will compete in the International Competition, National Competition, National Documentary Competition, National Short Film Competition, Young Masters, and the Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize.

The Cinema Honorary Awards, presented by the festival to those who have dedicated their hearts and efforts to cinema, will be awarded this year to master actress Meral Orhonsay, who has starred in many films addressing social issues and women's stories, including Yılmaz Güney's Yol, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and to Engin Ayça, a versatile filmmaker known for his films as a director and screenwriter since 1968, his academic studies, the cinema magazines he has published, the cinema books he has translated, and the lectures he has given at universities and cinema meetings.

The awards will be presented to their recipients at the Opening Ceremony to be held on the night of April 16.

WIM WENDERS TO BE GUEST OF HONOR

Wim Wenders, one of the leading directors of world cinema, is coming to Istanbul for the first time as the festival's guest of honor.

Three of Wenders' films will be screened at the festival: his latest film, Anselm, which examines the life and artistic journey of German artist Anselm Kiefer and premiered at Cannes; Alice in the Cities, which will be shown from its restored copy on its 50th anniversary; and Perfect Days, Japan's Oscar nominee, in which Koji Yakusho delivers a marvelous performance in the lead role.

Wenders will also meet with the audience by holding a festival talk as part of the festival.

YAKUSHO AT THE FESTIVAL WITH FOUR FILMS

On the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Turkey, Koji Yakusho will also come to Istanbul for the festival. Koji Yakusho, one of Japan's most well-known and respected actors, who easily carries the weight of every genre from Yakuza films to romantic dramas, and from action to comedy, is one of the most acclaimed actors in the industry. Yakusho, who is deemed worthy of an award for almost every role he takes on, is included in the festival program with four films that stand out in his filmography.

13 Assassins (Takashi Miike), Under the Open Sky (Miwa Nishikawa), Shall We Dance? (Masayuki Suô), and Perfect Days, for which he won the Best Actor award at Cannes, are meeting the audience at the festival.

The festival's Cinema Honorary Award will be presented to Wim Wenders and Koji Yakusho before the screenings of their films.

SCREENING VENUES FINALIZED

This year's screenings of the Istanbul Film Festival will be held in 6 theaters: Atlas 1948 and Beyoğlu Cinema in Beyoğlu, CineWAM Premium+ City's Nişantaşı (Hall 3 and Hall 7) in Şişli, and Kadıköy Cinema and Kadıköy Municipality Sinematek/Cinema House in Kadıköy.

Screenings will take place at 11:00, 13:30, 16:00, 19:00, and 21:30.

Unlike previous years, all screenings at Beyoğlu Cinema and Sinematek / Cinema House will be unnumbered.

The Istanbul Film Festival will once again bring together many guest directors and actors it will host with festival audiences this year.

The actors and directors participating in the festival will make presentations at the cinemas before their film screenings and will answer questions from the audience after the screenings.